Hard Floor CareVCT floor deep scrub

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6 Simple Steps to a Successful Floor Finish Deep Scrub

2. Product Concentration

3. Dwell Time

4. Agitation 5. Complete Pickup

1. Area Preparation

6. Done?

A deep scrub is a procedure that removes two to three coats of the floor finish in preparation for new coats of finish to be applied. This helps lengthen the life of the floor and keep it looking nice between full floor finish stripping.

Supplies Before getting started, let’s make sure we are ready to do the job!

1. PPE! (gloves, traction shoes, safety glasses)2. Physical barrier, caution tape, wet floor signs3. Slow speed buffer / Oscillating scrubber4. Auto scrubber (optional)5. Wet/Dry Vacuum with squeegee tool6. Doodle bug tool7. Putty knife8. Red or blue pads9. Large terry cloth towels10.3-4 Mop buckets with mops11.Painters/Duct tape12.Buckeye Blue 13.Trash bags

1. Area PreparationIn order to have a beautiful floor finish, preparation is key! If the area is not prepared correctly you could damage the floor, waste product, or both. Some parts of area preparation include:

• Clearing the area of furniture and large objects

• Sweep, remove gum, black marks and floor debris

• Blocking off doorways to prevent foot traffic

• Taping off thresholds and transitions to prevent chemical bleed through to unwanted areas.

2. Product ConcentrationThe proper dilution of chemicals along with the proper conditions is vital in a proper deep scrub. A few things to consider when mixing your chemical are:

• Always use cool water

• Always fill the measured amount of water and then add the measured amount of chemical

• We currently use Buckeye Blue for deep scrubs diluted at 10 ounces of chemical to 1 gallon of water

• Follow manufacturer’s instructions for chemical use and safety

3. Dwell TimeThe chemical cannot do its job without sufficient dwell time. A few points for dwell time:

• Spread the stripper evenly over the floor and allow at least 10 minutes dwell time.

• Depending on the finish, temperatures, and number of layers, dwell time can vary.

• Make sure that the floor doesn’t dry out by sprinkling more water as needed.

• If the chemical dries, the finish will be much harder to remove on the next attempt.

4. AgitationNow that the floor finish is softened, it’s time to scrub. Important parts of this step include:

• An auto scrubber can be used for a deep scrub.

• Make sure to use a correctly sized red or blue pad. Surface Prep Pads (SPP) may also be used.

• Move at a steady, slow pace overlapping passes to make sure not to miss anything. Make several passes.

• Check your pad regularly. Flip or change pads every 125 square feet.

• Pay attention to corners and edges using a doodlebug and putty knife.

• Be careful, the floor will be slippery! Always use proper PPE.

5. Complete PickupIf the solution isn’t completely picked up residue and defects will show through! Here are a few point to consider.

• Use a wet/dry vacuum to pickup the solution.

• Follow immediately after the wet/dry vacuum with a rinse mop so the floor doesn’t dry with solution on it.

• Have 2 or 3 mop buckets to rotate through. Change the water out as it gets cloudy.

• Continue to rinse until the water stays clear to make sure you leave no residue. Usually 2 or more passes.

• If residue is left behind the floor will be powdery when dry.

6. Done?Check the floor after it has dried.

• It should be evenly dull with no shiny spots and color should be even.

Clean upThe job isn’t done until you have cleaned up the tools you used!

• Wipe down base boards before they can dry. The residue is easy to remove when wet.

• Pull tape and towels and make sure no residue is left on thresholds and transitions.